Moonshine Falls - Cascade Falls -Confusion Falls
Moonshine Falls was on their mind, and Scott and Renée and suggested that I join them, and finding some free time in my work schedule , we headed to South Carolina to check out these falls. The hiking route is located on the Asbury Hills Methodist Camp property near Marietta, South Carolina and Table Rock State Park, and the proper procedure is to check in at the main office and ask permission to hike these falls surrounding area or call before you arrive. The people at the office were more than accommodating, and even gave me a map of the area so that I would not get confused in there. The problem was I got confused anyway; that's for later ...
The trail leads upwards from the trailhead (near the dining hall and parking in an area where there is a basketball goal) and then levels off and there are several waterfalls that are specifically signed on the main trail. The first that we came to was Cascade Falls, which is a small waterfall on Matthews Creek.
The second was another waterfall that would look beautiful in high flow, Asbury Falls, that took quite a bit of short effort up the side of the ridge to find. Yesterday, the flow was so low it was difficult to even get a good picture of those falls. And in high water, I think those falls would be awesome.
Eventually the main trail leads past a boys and girls scout camps, and we came to the first real highlight of the trip, the cable crossing of Matthews Creek. Scott and I went across the crossing, which is essentially two cables strung between two trees across the creek where you grab the upper cable and shimmy your feet across on the lower cable. You do not want to lose your grip either way; a tumble into the water would cause bit of a medical problem. Renee opted to take the water route, and since the creek was low enough where she could rock hop across, she was able to do so with a bit of excitement but safely.
Now, on to the main event. After following several terms on the trail marked by a pink blaze, we arrived at Moonshine Falls. A beautiful and unique place, the old rusty 55 gallon moonshine barrels sit adjacent to the falls.
The water in the basin below the falls tasted very sweet this time using my LifeStraw, and though the sun made pictures of the falls difficult, climbing into the water and taking some pictures from in front proved to be fruitful as well as a profile picture which turned out nicely.
While we were on the main trail to Moonshine Falls, we noted a trail that continued down the ridge that separates the moonshine creek from Matthews Creek. We had heard a rumor that there was another falls downstream from moonshine called Confusion Falls (more than a rumor, Scott and Renée had researched the prior trail reports on this trip thoroughly). Of course, we follow that path and the path ended up in basic nothingness. What now to do? We heard the water in the creek are below us that sounded suspiciously like a waterfall, and down the steepness Scott and I went, trail or not.
At the bottom, Scott and I became separated, and Renée was intelligently waiting to see what we found before she honey badgered down that steep slope.
Looking for Confusion, and finally I did locate a waterfall upstream, and I yelled loudly so that Renée and Scott could hear me, as I could not see them in the brush and everwhat down there. I had found Confusion Falls!
Now, Renée is coming down the slope, and Scott is coming upstream. As I was taking pictures of the small falls, Scott looked upstream and saw yet another Falls. The real Confusion Falls had been found: I was confused yet again. For those who hike with me, this is a rather common occurrence. Like the time in Panthertown Valley when I almost didn't make it to Carlton Falls thinking Halfway Falls was it ... So then->
I got out of the water, met Scott and Renée on the path,, and we trucked up to the real Confusion Falls. Beauty! The confluence of two creeks creates a waterfall that even in low flow is very pretty. We stopped to take pictures of the falls, of ourselves, and that was a perfect place for me to load up with water prior to the bushwhack back up the steep slope.
But, no, Scott - in his trailblazing bravo - located a trail on the slope from Confusion Falls that we have missed somehow. Finally we topped the ridge, getting back to the trail on the ridge, which led us back to Matthews Creek, another interesting cable Crossing, and on back to the original trailhead. Eight miles of hiking with the steep slope adventure led for a tired trio when we reached our vehicles.
What a beautiful and nice day to take a hike that was not only on nicely maintained trails, but also included some honey badger action as well. I could not have asked for better hiking companions that day then Scott and Renée.
For further information about this area, please look at Josh Simons' blog http://thelongroadtozion.blogspot.com/2014/05/asbury-hills-and-moonshine-falls.html?m=
and Rich Stephenson's webpage